Facebook's new group video chat feature Messenger Rooms officially went live on Thursday, and is ready to compete with services like Zoom, Skype, Google Meet and Microsoft Teams, as more people turn to video chat during coronavirus lockdowns and quarantines. Facebook users can create a video chat room via Facebook or the Messenger app and invite up to 50 people to join a video call -- even if they don't have a Facebook account. There's no time limits on calls. Find friends, watch live videos, play games & save photos in your social networkKeeping up with friends is faster and easier than ever. Share updates and photos, engage with friends and Pages, and stay connected to communities important to you.
Messenger Rooms arrives as some people are looking for an alternative to Zoom, which has faced a number of security and privacy issues in the past two months. (If you're still using Zoom, you can take steps to lock down your meetings and prevent Zoombombing, and learn other hidden tips and tricks.)
Facebook Messenger Rooms began rolling out in certain countries earlier in May before expanding globally on Thursday. Keep reading for Facebook Messenger Rooms' stance on privacy, and how to get started using the new video chat platform.
Features on the Facebook app include:
* Connect with friends and family and meet new people on your social media network
* Set status updates & use Facebook emoji to help relay what’s going on in your world
* Share photos, videos, and your favorite memories.
* Get notifications when friends like and comment on your posts
* Find local social events, and make plans to meet up with friends
* Play games with any of your Facebook friends
* Backup photos by saving them in albums
* Follow your favorite artists, websites, and companies to get their latest news
* Look up local businesses to see reviews, operation hours, and pictures
* Buy and sell locally on Facebook Marketplace
* Watch live videos on the go
* Set status updates & use Facebook emoji to help relay what’s going on in your world
* Share photos, videos, and your favorite memories.
* Get notifications when friends like and comment on your posts
* Find local social events, and make plans to meet up with friends
* Play games with any of your Facebook friends
* Backup photos by saving them in albums
* Follow your favorite artists, websites, and companies to get their latest news
* Look up local businesses to see reviews, operation hours, and pictures
* Buy and sell locally on Facebook Marketplace
* Watch live videos on the go
While Facebook has also grappled with many security and privacy problems, CEO Mark Zuckerberg said in a livestream earlier this month that the company has been "very careful" and tried to "learn the lessons" from issues with other video conference tools in recent months.
More than 700 million accounts participate in voice and video calls every day on Facebook Messenger and the Facebook-owned WhatsApp, and the number of calls has more than doubled in many areas since the coronavirus outbreak began, the company said in a press release.
Messenger Rooms privacy protections include the ability to control who sees your room, and can lock or unlock it. If it's unlocked, anyone with the link can join and share the room with others. But the room creator has to be present to start the call. They can control who can join, and can remove participants at any time, too. People can report a room for violating Facebook rules -- though those reports will not include any video or audio from the call. Facebook doesn't listen to your calls at all, the company said.
The Facebook app does more than help you stay connected with your friends and interests. It's also your personal organizer for storing, saving and sharing photos. It's easy to share photos straight from your Android camera, and you have full control over your photos and privacy settings. You can choose when to keep individual photos private or even set up a secret photo album to control who sees it.
FACEBOOK GROUP VIDEO CHAT MESSANGERS ROOM LAUNCH
Facebook also helps you keep up with the latest news and current events around the world. Subscribe to your favorite celebrities, brands, news sources, artists, or sports teams to follow their newsfeeds, watch live streaming videos and be caught up on the latest happenings no matter where you are!
The most important desktop features of Facebook are also available on the app, such as writing on timelines, liking photos, browsing for people, and editing your profile and groups.
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